Nominations are expected to open later today for the New Patriotic Party presidential aspirants to pick their forms to contest the elections scheduled for December this year.
Before the nominations are opened later this afternoon, the National Council (NC) of the party will meet to affirm it, as well as other arrangements and proposals put forward by the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Steering Committee.
This is the first time the NC is meeting since the new national executive members, under the chairmanship of Mr Paul Awentami Afoko, were elected into office.
The nominations will be opened for a month and the NEC has approved a fee of GH¢10, 000 for the picking of forms while filing of the papers will attract GH¢ 75,000. The NEC Thursday concluded arrangements for nominations to open for the presidential primary in December.
The arrangements concluded include the approval of guidelines and code of ethics for the conduct of the campaign leading to the primary.
This was disclosed by the General Secretary of the party, Mr Kwabena Agyepong after the NEC meeting in Accra yesterday.
Last week, the National Executive Committee took a decision to open nominations for the presidential primary on June 6 and the holding of presidential primary on December 6 this year.
The two dates fixed by the NEC had to be endorsed by the National Council, which is the second highest decision-making body of the party after the National Congress.
Interacting with the press at the party’s headquarters in Accra recently, Mr Agyepong explained that even though the constitution of the party mandated it to open nomination when in opposition six months before the presidential primary and two years before the general election, the decision had to be approved by the National Council.
Other issues to be discussed at today’s NC meeting include the appointment of some officers of the party such as deputies for the positions of general secretary, national organiser, women’s organiser and national youth organiser.
The issue of re-constituting committees of the party, including the organising, disciplinary and legal and constitutional, is also expected to be on the agenda.
So far, five aspirants have declared their intention to pick nomination forms to contest the flag-bearer position when nominations are opened.
They are Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the 2008 and 2012 presidential candidate of the party; Mr Alan Kyerematen and Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, both of whom contested the position in 2008 and 2012; Mr Joe Ghartey and Mr Francis Addai-Nimoh.
Others believed to have the ambition to contest the position include Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Mr Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, the MP for Asuogyaman, and Mr Isaac Osei, the MP for Subin.
Already, the contest is becoming intriguing as the camps of various aspirants are on the field canvassing for votes.